History
Born mid-century in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Roxanne Quimby developed an early passion for the arts and nature that was to become the central theme of her future business philosophy. In 1975, after receiving her BFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, Roxanne moved to a small town in central Maine, where she used her life savings to buy her first 30 acres of woods. She built a small cabin where she and her twins, Hannah and Lucas, lived in harmony with nature for almost fifteen years without electricity, running water or other modern conveniences.
In 1989, Roxanne and her partner Burt, a beekeeper and refugee from New York, started Burt's Bees, a cottage industry which quickly evolved into an internationally renowned personal care company with a core commitment to pure ingredients, naturally efficacious formulas and earth-friendly packaging. In 2003, Roxanne sold the now multimillion dollar company, while continuing to serve on the Board of Directors and helping ensure the company maintains its commitment to natural integrity.
With the proceeds of the sale Roxanne funded two foundations. The first awards grants to nonprofit organizations in support of the environment and the arts and the second, an operating foundation, owns and maintains 70,000 acres of wilderness in the North woods of Maine. Roxanne is also the cofounder of Maine Woods Forever, a heritage conservation organization dedicated to preserving the spirit and landscape of Maine Woods.
After a yearlong respite traveling from Antarctica to Paris, Roxanne began to crave a new challenge. As a mother, designer and lifelong environmentalist, Roxanne saw a void in children's clothing wear and a lack of awareness of the benefits of organic cotton. Thus she began to "sew" the seeds of her newest venture - happygreenbee, an all organic cotton clothing line created specifically for kids.
happygreenbee has a simple philosophy: clothing that is comfortable, colorful, playful and ecologically responsible. "We created Happy Green Bee so that a child can be a child, first and foremost," Quimby explains. "By using organic cotton, a comfortable and practical fabric, and simple bee-striped patterns, children feel as comfortable as they look while their parents take a small step in making a big difference in the environment their children live in."
